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Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Asia’s first and only sustainable light art festival concludes on a high note, drawing a record 565,000 visitors and achieving significant energy savings

11 April 2012

Asia’s first and only sustainable light art festival concludes on a high note, drawing a record 565,000 visitors and achieving significant energy savings

Singapore, 11 April 2012 – On 1 April 2012, i Light Marina Bay 2012, Asia’s first and only sustainable light art festival, closed on a successful note, attracting 565,000 local and international visitors over the three-week period. This represents a 30 per cent increase over the inaugural edition in 2010.

The festival also achieved its objective of promoting the sustainability message with the participation of 47 properties across the island in the “Switch Off, Turn Up” energy efficiency campaign.

Organised by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA),

with festival direction provided by Smart Light, i Light Marina Bay provided a platform for visitors to explore and appreciate Singapore’s signature waterfront through more than 30 visually stunning and sustainable light art installations located strategically around the bay.

This edition of I Light Marina Bay 2012 was also made more enriching through an array of outdoor activities put together by various community partners (see Annex A).

The outdoor movie screening organised by the People’ Association, in particular, was very popular.

Mr. Mark Goh, Deputy Director of URA’s Place Management Department, said: “i Light Marina Bay 2012 aimed to encourage the community to experience the dynamic Marina Bay waterfront in a different light. We would like to thank our sponsors, the artists, programme partners and student volunteers from Temasek Polytechnic for making this meaningful event possible. We are heartened that so many members of the community were able to enjoy the creative light installations and participate in the many activities throughout the festival period. This is in line with our vision to make Marina Bay a bay for the people.”

An impactful and sustainable event

In line with the Festival’s goal of being energy efficient, event partners, artists and suppliers of i Light Marina Bay 2012 were guided by appointed professional sustainability consultants to observe sustainable practices. Through the use of energy-efficient lighting and alternative sustainable energy sources, the total energy usage for all the installations during the festival was less than 7,000 kWh (kilowatt hours).

In addition, 47 properties around and beyond the Marina Bay precinct lent their support to the cause by participating in the “Switch Off, Turn Up” campaign, which saw them commit to switching off non-essential lights and turning up air-conditioning temperatures throughout the festival period. The participating properties collectively achieving energy savings of more than 200,000 kWh, more than four times the energy saved in the inaugural edition of the Festival. This equates to saving 100 tonnes of CO2 equivalent, which is enough to generate electricity for 762 4-room HDB flats for the same period.

i Light Marina Bay 2012 also took its commitment to be sustainable further by participating in this year’s Earth Hour. On 31 March 2012, all 31 featured artworks were switched off for an hour between 8.30pm and 9.30pm. Members of the public also did their part through the contribution of innovative tips on being energy efficient in our everyday lives.

Ms. Mary-Anne Kyriakou, Festival Director of i Light Marina Bay 2012, said, “The 31 installations showcased this year created a dynamic, interactive and enjoyable event that beautifully celebrated the Marina Bay nightscape. As Asia’s first and only sustainable light art festival, we are also pleased that the event achieved significant energy savings, bolstering the sustainability efforts that were made throughout the festival. We hope that through i Light Marina Bay, we have encouraged the community to think and act responsibly for a sustainable future.”

i Light Marina Bay 2012 was supported by Prime Sponsor Marina Bay Sands, Sustainability Sponsor PowerSeraya, as well as Sponsors Schneider Electric and the United Arab Shipping Company (S.A.G.).

About Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA)

The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) is Singapore’s national land use planning and conservation agency. URA’s mission is “to make Singapore a great city to live, work and play in”. We strive to create a vibrant and sustainable city of distinction by planning and facilitating Singapore’s physical development in partnership with the community. As the main land sales agent for the state, our multifaceted engagement strategy includes the sale of state land to attract and channel private capital investment to develop sites for meeting our land use needs. As the place manager for Marina Bay, we promote exciting activities within Marina Bay in collaboration with other government agencies and private stakeholders. To create an exciting cityscape, the URA also actively promotes architecture and urban design excellence. For more information, please visit us at www.ura.gov.sg.

About Smart Light Singapore

Smart Light Singapore (SLS) was established in 2010 as a not-for-profit entity to develop urban lighting festivals that would set new international standards for energy efficiency and provide family-friendly, outdoor celebrations by illuminating public spaces through art sculptures and other smart light activities.

Through these events and activities, SLS aims to increase awareness in the reduction of energy usage, engage public and professional participation in best practices in lighting design, promote dark city skies and improve on energy-efficient lighting performances.